Organization

Layer 3 – Six Working Units

EUCAB is organized into four operational units and two horizontal units, each with a specific mission but with closely interlinked activities. All units are formed by a Unit Leader, a Deputy Leader and about ten experts.

Unit Leaders, supported by Deputy Unit Leaders, manage specific areas of responsibilities assigned to their corresponding units by the Implementation Plan. They program, oversee and follow their units’ activities.

Four operational units

Air & Post Unit

The unit’s mission is to enhance the protection of the internal market through effective customs control activities in passenger, cargo, express courier, and postal operations.

It tackles major issues related to the flow of goods and passengers in connection with customs work at airports. It devises solutions to challenges raised by the increase in e-commerce and air freight flows. It supports diagnostics in airport and postal facilities, develops specific risk indicators for express couriers and small consignments, and tests operational solutions through targeted joint activities. Taking into account the existing Member States’ capacities, it strengthens collaboration among EU Member states’ customs administrations in priority areas such as risk analysis, control methods, training and equipment recommendations.

• Air & Post Unit Leader: Xavier Pascual
• Air & Post Deputy Unit Leader: Tiziana Robustelli

Land Border Unit

The unit’s mission is to ensure high-quality customs control at EU’s external land (road and rail) border crossing points (BCPs).

It focuses on operational performance and enforcement capacity, balancing the need to fight illicit trade (detecting illegal activities, enforcing prohibitions and restrictions,) with the aim to ensure efficient border flow (reducing waiting times, facilitating VAT refund procedures). It runs diagnostics and threat assessments, and facilitates coordination of control efforts focusing on important areas such as trafficking in excise goods, undeclared cash, weapons and dual-use goods, drugs and drug precursors. It supports customs controls on the ground by favouring cooperation and insights, in particular through Joint Control Activities (JCAs).

• The Land Border Unit Leader: Mika Poutiainen
• The Land Border Deputy Unit Leader: Peychin Ivanov

Maritime Unit

The unit’s mission is to ensure that customs administrations act more efficiently and effectively to improve control activities, identify threats, thus raising resilience of EU ports and the maritime sector (logistics, information, staff).

It focuses on the operational coordination of customs work in seaports and inland ports to achieve a level playing field in terms of security and safety between EU ports. It also covers trade facilitation in this environment. The priorities are on building up networks, sharing experiences and best practices, improving trends assessment and solution building in response to vulnerabilities identified.

• The Maritime Unit Leader: Jeroen Engelberts
• The Maritime Deputy Unit Leader: Nicolas Chiellino

Mobile Customs Unit

The unit’s mission is to identify critical areas and common issues on inland mobile controls.

It focuses on promoting exchange of information and sharing of best control practices in this field. It assists Member States’ customs administrations in developing mobile equipment and promotes synergies between customs controls on the road and at fixed border crossing points.

• The Mobile Customs Unit Leader: George Nikolaidis
• The Mobile Customs Deputy Unit Leader: Robert Szewczyk

Two horizontal units

Coordination Unit

The unit’s mission is to coordinate overarching expertise and activities of the expert team, thus ensuring conditions for effective collaboration, consistency and performance across all areas of the project.

It focuses on conducting training, procuring and analyzing control equipment, and improving and intensifying cooperation in risk management. It works closely with the operational units to optimize efforts, eliminate overlaps, reduce duplication, ensuring that all members of the expert team move forward in synergy.

• The Coordination Unit Leader: András Bartha
• The Coordination Deputy Unit Leader: Lauris Krivans

Support Unit

The unit’s mission is to ensure the operational coherence of the expert team by providing all necessary cross-cutting services that foster cooperation inside EUCAB, with partners and third parties.

It focuses on priority areas of external communication and visibility, human resources, resilience, and integrity. It plays a central role in coordinating collaboration with third parties and international organizations.

• The Support Unit Leader: Agnieszka Butrym-Bielatko
• The Support Deputy Unit Leader: Maria Prieto